The End of the Trail

Yesterday was the final stage of my Camino - the trip into Santiago and the pilgrim's mass at the cathedral.

The day began very early as we needed to cover the distance of 22kms by 11 o clock so we could join the mass at noon. It was cold and dark when we set off walking just before 6am. Our little band of four people, three German friends and myself found the first Camino marker with the aid of headlamps. Soon we picked up a Spanish man who had no light and we entered the eucalyptus forest which made up most of the final stage.

Everyone agreed it was like a scene from "Lord of the Rings", trooping alone through the misty and very fragrant forest - lights bobbing in the darkness. I attempted a few verses of "The Happy Wanderer" and the others filled in the "fall a dee" chorus. We could hear some far off roosters giving the local wake-up call but it was close to an hour before the birds in the forest came to life.

When we reached the forest edge a light rain had started - the first in days and even though we reached a high point close to Santiago there was little visibility. It's always strange on the Camino when we walk into a city after days in the countryside and small villages. Santiago was different - there were statues and signs everywhere celebrating the Camino - people honked at us in greeting and we started to see the familiar faces of pilgrims who had moved ahead of us and were now part of the local colour.

All around the cathedral were other travellers most still wearing their packs taking photographs of each other, greeting Camino friends and making phone calls home. The air was electric and there was a babble of voices in every language!

When we entered the cathedral there were few seats left.People attend the pilgrim's mass more than once and there was a rumour we might see the swinging of the giant botafumeiro - the giant incense burner. We were not disappointed - the mass was a very moving service and we were also treated to the ritual of the incense which involves several priests and is a one of a kind experience.

We spend the rest of the yesterday meeting and greeting other pilgrims, exchanging email addresses and simply relaxing. Some became tourists and shopped for things to take home - on the Camino we didn't want to carry the extra weight!

One thing every pilgrim collected at the Camino office was the 'Compostela' a certificate of completion of the Camino Frances. In recent years one need only complete the last 100km of the Camino to receive the Compostela. Others like me start in France and walk 800km to arrive in Santiago. We also met pilgrims who have clocked over 3,000kms, starting in Switzerland, for example, or in the south of Italy. We are all part of the same adventure.

Today a group of us took a bus to Finisterre and some actually dipped their toes in the sea. It was strange being without the knapsacks and very odd to be on a bus- a number of us felt quite ill on the three hour ride as we took the hair-pin turns along the coast. The coastal villages are lovely - the area has some white sand beaches which are quite secluded. For pilgrims, the trip to Finisterre is a traditional new beginning after the Camino - for me, it was also a beautiful way to end my journey. Paul will join me in Santiago on Saturday. It will be wonderful to see him and my family again very soon. I have missed home but my time on the Camino is an experience I will cherish forever.

Countdown to Santiago

Tonight the excitement is building as we are in Arca within 20kms of Santiago and a short day´s journey away. The last few days one could feel the buzz in the air. We have been joined on the Camino by people who have followed the Camino Norte across the nortern coast of Spain and the other Camino which comes across the centre of Spain (name escapes me). There are also what we affectionately call day-packers on the route now we are near the end. These are either locals who like to walk a short section of the Camino or members of organized tour groups who walk together for sections of the trail but with bus or van support. They are definitely more fashionably dressed and refreshed looking after a comfortable night´s sleep! Friends who made better time and have already arrived in Santiago are emailing me with details of the cathederal and the reunion of friends - it all adds to the thrill!

Friendships made on the Camino are close and supportive. The injured and limping pilgrims are helped along the way by new friends with extra bandages and kind words. Some people are nursing other wounds, suffering the loss of a family member or the break-up of a marriage. Others are walking to give thanks for surviving serious illness or to accompany a friend or family member who needed to walk the Camino. Then there are the athletic types -people who either walk or bike the Camino for a physical challenge. I have been amazed how many older pilgrims look much younger than their age. Yesterday I talked to two women from Austria who have spent two months on the Camino starting in France and covering about 1500 kms. They were both well over 65 and still friends - even after all that distance together in often less than ideal conditions.

Like many other pilgrims I am on the Camino alone but yet never lonely. Sometimes I have chosen solitude for part of a day but one can always enjoy the company of others. For the last few days I have spent my evenings with a group of German pilgrims who met each other on the Camino. Their English is excellent - reinforcing my personal commitment to master a second language this next year - maybe even a third! I believe it enriches your life to be able to understand and communicate well in another language. Also it is good for the brain which continues to need it´s own excercise to keep young. It will be hard to say goodbye to the Camino but I hope to keep many of my new friendships through the power of the internet!